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Prepositions after chase

Chase after or chase by?

Chase after is a common expression for pursuing someone or something. Chase by is not a standard fixed combination in modern English.

Quick answer

Which form is correct?

Use chase after to mean pursue or try to get something. Chase by is not normally used as a fixed pattern, though by can appear separately in a sentence as an adverbial phrase.

The dog chased after the ball.
He spent years chasing after fame.
The children ran past chased by a guard.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
chase after + person/thing

Pursuing someone or something

Use chase after for physical pursuit or strong effort to get something.

Cats often chase after moving objects.
2
chase after + goal

Trying hard to achieve something

This pattern is also common for ambitions or desires.

She stopped chasing after unrealistic dreams.
3
chase + object

Using chase without a preposition

Chase can directly take the thing being pursued.

The police chased the suspect through the city.
4
chased by + person/animal

Showing who performs the chase

By commonly appears in passive sentences.

The rabbit was chased by a fox.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
chase after
Tourists chased after the celebrity.
Standard expression for pursuit or strong effort.
chase by
The cyclist rode by while children chased behind.
By is normally separate from chase, not part of a fixed combination.
chase
Security guards chased the thief.
Direct-object form without a preposition.
chase down
Reporters chased down the story.
Means pursue until caught or found.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using chase by as a verb pattern

Chase by is not an idiomatic fixed combination.

✕ They chased by the bus. ✓ They chased after the bus.

Adding after unnecessarily

Chase can directly take an object.

✕ The cat chased after the mouse around the room all day. ✓ The cat chased the mouse around the room all day.

Confusing passive and active forms

By usually introduces the agent in passive sentences.

✕ The dog chased by the boy. ✓ The dog was chased by the boy.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The puppy chased ___ a butterfly.
2. The runners were chased ___ photographers.
3. She spent years chasing ___ success.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

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Frequently asked questions

Is chase after always necessary?

No. Chase can also directly take an object, especially in literal physical pursuit.

Is chase by correct English?

Not as a fixed verb-preposition combination. By is usually separate or part of a passive structure.

Can chase after be used figuratively?

Yes. It is common for goals, fame, money, or dreams.

calculate, by, calculate, in, calculate, from "call for" or "call on"? "campaign for" or "campaign against"? cancel by, due, at, in or for? capitulate to, in, like, by or after? captivate by, for, with, from or in? "capture by" or "capture in"? "care about" or "care for"? carry with, by, in, to or into? carve into, out, in, on or with? cast in, into, for, by or on? "catch in", "catch by" or "catch on"?

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